Drake had two options, charge, or die. Her eyes darted down the long hall, giving both options a full consideration before dismissing either one.
The area around her was lit in a way that made her feel outside once more, and she was shocked to see what appeared to be sunlight and clouds above her.
What in the world is going on inside this place.
She was still struggling with the emotions that bubbled up from the depths of her mind and soul, and was seriously considering charging toward the horde, but could sense an immense power rolling toward her from the horde’s direction that told her that trying to fight the group head on would be a mistake.
“Drake, follow me there are paths all throughout this room, and even buildings that we may be able to hide in,” yelled Cortez, becoming visible just ahead of her on the path.
Drake rushed forward without another thought. Cortez and her ran for a few hundred yards flanked by her giant of a minion, fueled by the sound of marching feet of all shapes and sizes.
They came to a crossroads and didn’t take long to decide what direction to go.
Directly in front of them in the distance was the large group of various monsters. While to the left and right were paths branching off in either direction with channels of flowing water closing the even larger paths in on either side.
The architecture within changed immediately, even as Cortez and her darted left, Drake took in the well built structures on either side of what she now felt to be a city street rather than a simple path.
The buildings that Cortez had spoken of to hide in were at first simple in design. Some wooden, some clay, but as they ran deeper, stone was used to create structures with pillars to hold up the expanded floors above ground level, and even artful terraces.
There is an entire civilization down here, what the fuck did Lilith expect us too do down here that wouldn’t take us months or longer to complete?
By the time they managed to make it to the next crossroad, the street they were on opened up to sho more of the expansive city around them.
Drake gasped to see the metropolis built inside the instance. She stopped running, and Cortez slowed, looking back at her momentarily before he darted back in her direction.
“Come on, we don’t have time for this!”
Drake nodded and continued to run, unable to look away from the beautiful scenery before her.
Some of the buildings were made to look like towering sculptures of monsters, while others looked like various humanoid races defending themselves against the primordial at the center of it all. A kraken, stretched out from the center of the city, its tentacles forming bridges that lead in every direction.
One tentacle was wrapped around the neck of a giant,. The monster brought to its knees as it struggled for life; yet even from the vantage they were at currently, Drake could see tiny forms moving from out of the giant’s mouth to walk across the bridge that led back toward the kraken’s main body. Which seemed to be the biggest building of them all.
Though the giant was incredibly large, appearing to be a structure with hundreds of levels, it was far from the most impressive monster being grappled and fought by the primordial kraken.
Further down the street they dashed down, a dragon, lay on its side. The kraken’s tentacle was wrapped around the monsters stomach, and Drake could see that every bit of the dragon’s body was inhabited. Many lights came from inside the large building made into the form of what was said to be the deadliest of all magical creatures, and even the flames that had been sculpted coming out of its mouth were actually perimeter walls that spread outward, enclosing this specific building from the surrounding areas.
How many fucking monsters are in this place? Drake couldn’t help but try to compare what she was seeing to an earthen city, but nothing she’d ever seen on the planet earth could ever compare to what was revealed to her now.
The city was something that would take an astronomical amount of planning. The design of the city like that of a well built painting only completely three dimensional and perfectly structurally sound.
The tentacles wrapped around a massive ship, a leaning tower, an icy mountaintop, and an incredible amount of other smaller structures. Some in the shape of majestic creatures like gryphons or Pegasi, or even just normal buildings without any seeming significance.
Gotta be magic right? Has to be, I mean come on look at this place, if I could fly I would get lost just exploring…
The entire city was a sculpture. A battle field immortalized by the hand of a master artisan with a god like affinity for the craft lay before Drake. Yet the scale of it all told Drake that maybe the people as a whole had created the marvel, which made Drake’s mind twist at the thought of monsters being more than just bags of attribute points for Cultivators to gather.
Her only saving grace was that the metropolis could have been built by a god, a Cultivator civilization that was conquered by the monster horde she’d seen, but somehow all of the thoughts felt shallow.
What if this is what every instance holds at its base?
Drake knew that a construction of this magnitude without magic would be nearly impossible. With it however, she didn’t honestly know that the task would be easily handled either. Or even how long it would take to finish.
“Where the fuck are we…”
Drake glanced back to make sure the massive horde they’d seen wasn’t closing in on them, seeing only her own giant skeletal minion jogging behind her even as she sprinted.
“Come on, I’m not sensing any life force coming from this direction.”
Cortez darted left down an alleyway, rushing toward a completely empty building. From what Drake could tell, the entire area around them seemed to be devoid of life, which allowed her racing thoughts to settle enough for her to think straight. Her unruly temper cooled momentarily as she thought about what she’d just seen, rather than her growing fury at the gods.
Hard to compete with people that can look into their own futures, thought Drake, dismissing the thought as quickly as it had flitted into her head.
Cortez had chosen a massive building to enter, and Drake wondered if that was the best decision. Obviously the size of the building came with more places to hide, but as they ran through the sparsely decorated space, she began to feel as if they were trapping themselves within.
Do monsters need furniture?
The set up of the building they were in didn’t strike Drake in the same way that the previous part of the instance had, as all the goblins had constructed huts and small dwellings. Yet Drake couldn’t ignore the possibility that all this showed signs of sentience.
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
They took the stairs two at a time, while her skeleton jumped three or more steps at once. It wasn’t until they hit the seventh floor that Drake began to understand just how large the city below was. Looking at another building down the street from them, Drake could see one of the many tentacle bridges that were spread throughout the city, connected to the top of a building far taller than even the one they were in.
Drake stuck her head out of a window to look up, only to find out that they weren’t even a quarter of the way toward the top of the building they were in; further showing her the scale of the city as a whole.
“What are you doing, get in here,” said Cortez trying to pull Drake back inside the building.
“Are you not seeing this place, don’t tell me that you are seriously used to being in places like this?”
“Shh,” said Cortez, putting a finger to his lips as he tapped her on the shoulder with his free hand, before pointing at a group of trolls headed down the street in their direction.
“They are going to be here soon, and if we are going to survive in a hostile environment, we are going to need to use stealth tactics, we might be able to fight small groups, but anything like what we saw earlier and I doubt that even you will be able to survive.”
Drake nodded, withdrawing into the stairwell she’d poked her head out of.
Sounds like this kid wants to use gorilla warfare against the monsters. I wonder if he actually is used to things like this? Maybe not to this dire of an extreme, but maybe he comes from a military background?
Drake didn’t know much about the boy, but she knew she liked him far more than she did the other’s her group had met. It wasn’t until she thought of the others that she found it odd that Aurora hadn’t contacted her through their bond, and immediately tried to reach out.
Aurora, are you there?
At first there was nothing, but then Drake frowned, hearing a garbled noise like that of a walkie talkie being used when it was too far out of range of its partnered devices.
What kind of bullshit is that, are magical signal is low. Don’t tell me that I’m only powerful enough to use magical dial up internet speeds?
Drake thought further, deciding that the strange location they’d entered most likely had more to do with the disruption; instead focusing on coming up with a plan to survive this place with Cortez as they climbed the steps.
“So should we hide more than we dwindle their numbers down, or take every opportunity to attack,” asked Drake. Cortez gave her an odd look, and shook his head, mumbling to himself.
“City girl’s, dad warned me about the privileged, but I never thought they’d be as powerful as she is…”
Drake decided to ignore the obvious backhanded comment, knowing that Cortez was probably as stressed as Drake was.
Only, Drake was more excited than anything else, making her feel as if she actually was crazy.
“Look, I’ve been a Cultivator for a short time, I’m not used to instances, or dungeons or any of this, I’m sorry that I’m pumped up about all this,” apologized Drake, wanting to help Cortez understand why she was acting the way she was.
“I get it, I’m not used to anything like this myself, if I’m being honest, I’m probably just jealous.”
“Jealous of me, why?”
“Your strength, I mean come on, you look at this place like my sister looks at an ice cream stall, while I feel like I’m going to die down here, your probably contemplating ways to survive and nothing more as if you already know its completely possible for you to accomplish.”
Drake went silent. He had her pegged, and she couldn’t help but smirk.
“Am I that obvious, I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that I’m wondering what kind of achievements I could get by actually beating whatever boss is down here.”
“Obvious, that is putting it lightly, if I hadn’t told you to run, you really would have rushed that bloody horde we saw, wouldn’t you?”
Drake shrugged.
“Without a doubt, but that wouldn’t have ended well and you and I both know it, at least this way, we can find a way to get stronger and beat this instance, I mean it is for adepts, and you are almost at that level right?”
“ I guess, but these monsters are most likely elites, or maybe even rare spawns, do you really think I’m going to be all that much help down here?”
“Yeah, you were the strongest out of the Reliquary students, I mean they did have amazing skills, but none of them used what they had to the same capacity as you did, I think even Amber saw that by the time we finished that last fight, you should have seen her face when she mentioned how you helped us win, the girl looked like she wanted to vomit,” said Drake chuckling.
“Now that is a shock, but if someone of your strength feels that way then I’d be stupid to not have at least a semblance of faith in our survival, I mean I’m more worried about your friends than I am you, those HonorBorn kids are vicious.”
“What do you mean, they did seem to have sticks up their arses, but they weren’t that bad?”
“You didn’t hear this from me, but all of their families are heads of the Reliquary council, they hang out with the two other descendants of the seven original families that form the council, and with your friend Vanish potentially going to Reliquary, that would mean that all of the descendants of the council will be attending soon.”
Drake shrugged, feeling that what the boy described wasn’t anything of note.
“Doesn’t seem all that big of a deal.”
Cortez laughed.
“You really are not from around here are you, if you were you would know what Vanish going to Reliquary means for the council.”
“What does it mean, don’t just say stuff like that and leave me in the dark?”
“Look, I don’t want to be the one spreading conspiracies, but its well known that the current council cannot change until the entire council is replaced by handing their positions to their descendants, Lilith Constantine’s relatives were all banished or ascended to higher planes a long time ago, but now their is another BaneBorn, so I guess I just assumed that the next generation of the council was finally going to be assigned…”
“Wait, is my Master Lilith a part of this council?”
Cortez nodded.
“How long has she been a council member?”
“She is the longest living member, the only way to be removed is to die by core removal, be slain by one of your descendants, or to have the entire council replaced, it was assumed that she would either commit suicide by core removal, or remain on the council perpetually.”
“Let me guess, it is also commonly known that she hates her position on the council and has long looked for someone to replace her?”
“Yes… why?”
“Nothing, just had a feeling, but I don’t see how this is a problem for Vanish, can’t he just turn down the position?”
Cortez shook his head.
“No, the current council selects those they want to replace them, and though the original council banished the BaneBorns to stay on the council forever from the way the stories go, the benefits that were once seen as unrivaled when becoming a council member are now seen as nothing more than a curse.”
“Why?”
“The members reach the maximum level of power obtainable in the dungeon, and cannot ascend, some even watch their own descendants rise above them in power and leave, which is why many of the council fear Lilith, though she is bounded by the same system contracts as they are, her bloodline isn’t one that can be limited.”
“So what, she’s stronger than the rest of the council?”
“Maybe even combined from what rumors say, don’t get me wrong these are rumors, but most rumors start from a place of truth.”
“I get it, but that puts Vanish more at risk with my Master than anyone else, why would you fear him being around those other kids?”
“Haven’t you been listening, if, wait your not from around here, so you don’t know what happens when a council is replaced do you?”
Drake shook her head.
“All of the members of the previous council fight to the death, and the cores of the other council members are used to enrich the life of the winner.”
“So the only thing stopping the current council from dying as a whole right now, is what, Vanish being strong enough to take Lilith’s place?”
Drake felt she knew the answer, but liked hearing her growing fears confirmed even less.
They’ll kill him if they realize that he is related to Lilith…
“Vanish is the only thing stopping the entire Reliquary Academy from becoming completely leaderless, and as one of the strongest places to send the children of gods in the realm, the council won’t be the only ones to die if Lilith manages to escape, she is the strongest living necromancer known to the realms, and is only not a threat to the gods because of her current circumstances, and since Lilith is the oldest living council member, she alone has the right to trigger the replacement ritual at any time, if the current council allows for that to happen, potentially their entire families may die alongside them…”
“How do you know all of this?”
“Because I am the bastard of one of the council members…”Well that is definitely a pair of credentials right there, thought drake. Her worst fear slipping from her lips as the realization hit.
“So they are going to kill him at their very first chance…”
“Either that or push him to ascend so quickly to leave the dungeon that his foundation is weak, Lilith may want to leave, but her family owns this dungeon, she won’t leave it to a weak leader, that would weaken their entire bloodline.”
Cortez continued, sighing once he saw Drake’s brow furrow.
“Dungeons fuel the bloodlines of those who own them, and if Vanish is too weak the dungeon will just be taken from him through another ritual, not even Lilith wants her power base decreased that significantly…”
“Thanks,” said Drake as her mind raced. Not but a few moments ago she’d been excited by the premiss of exploring the city around her; only for what she’d learned to cause her to be worried for her friends lives.
Now, the silence in her mind that was once comforting before she became a Cultivator, only filled her with an agony she was unfamiliar with.
Don’t worry Drake, just survive, Aurora and Vanish will be okay, you just need to get back to them as soon as you can.
…
Aurora was oddly and suddenly untrusting of those around her. With the exception of Vanish, she couldn’t see why the group of Reliquary students had done what they had.
When she combed through her memories at what had happened, certain details struck her as… wrong. The first being that they had seemed to create a barrier as they backed away from the boss room entryway, but only for her, and not for Vanish.
Why would they let him by but try and slow me down?
Aurora couldn’t think of any reasons, but knew in her heart that something was wrong. The way the students sent continual glances toward Vanish tickled Aurora’s senses, telling her that they didn’t mean well.
She’d seen many people with bad intentions or ill opinions of her parent’s and siblings, as well as even her extended family members, and could easily see the tension in their eyes and demeanors.
I thought they had a little opinion in regard to Cortez, but maybe I’d been giving that too much attention?
They seem to want you dead buddy, but why, you’ve done nothing to them.
The occasional glances that she shared with Vanish told her that he was completely aware of the sudden attitude being sent in his direction. Nothing had changed in Aurora’s perspective, other than Drake not being there.
Maybe that’s it, they seemed intimidated by her, maybe they felt this way the entire time, but didn’t show it out of fear?
“We must go, we cannot stay here any longer than we have already, but you must contact me once you arrive at Reliquary Aurora, I am sorry that we couldn’t do anything to help your friend, but I’d be an idiot to not push for someone with as useful a skillsset as you seem to have,” said Amber, and though Aurora nodded, she did so only out of awareness of the situation, realizing that Vanish hadn’t been extended the same offer though he sat just beside her.
“We shall see, I may not even attend now that I have been separated from Drake,” said Aurora, and Amber frowned, sighing and shaking her head slowly as if she pitied her.
“I see, well I hope you wisen up and separate yourself from the bone lovers,” said Amber, sneering toward Vanish before she turned around and headed up the stairs, mumbling words that didn’t fail to touch Aurora’s ears.
“Your life may depend on it…”